In specifications of tastes and technology, econometricians often impose curvature globally, but monotonicity only locally or not at all. In fact monotonicity rarely is even mentioned in that literature. But without satisfaction of both curvature and monotonicity, the second order conditions for optimizing behavior fail, and duality theory fails. The resulting first order conditions, demand fun...

This paper considers the problems facing decision makers using econometric models in real time. It identifies the key stages involved and highlights the role of automated systems in reducing the effect of data snooping. It sets out many choices that researchers face in construction of automated systems and discusses some of the possible ways advanced in the literature for dealing with them. The...

This paper develops tests for comparing the accuracy of predictive densities derived from (possibly misspecified) diffusion models. In particular, we first outline a simple simulation-based framework for constructing predictive densities for one-factor and stochastic volatility models. Then, we construct accuracy assessment tests that are in the spirit of Diebold and Mariano (1995) and White (2...

I investigate cointegrating relationships such that, even though the long-run attractors are assumed to be linear, the dynamics of the equilibrium errors depends on the business cycle. I postulate a Markov-switching common stochastic trends model to study both the short-run responses to permanent shocks and the e/ects of recessions in the long-run growth. I apply these 0ndings to explore the sh...

In this paper, we use maximum entropy to estimate the parameters in an economic model. We demonstrate the use of the generalized maximum entropy (GME) estimator, describe how to specify the GME parameter support matrix, and examine the sensitivity of GME estimates to the parameter and error bounds. We impose binding inequality restrictions through the GME parameter support matrix and develop a ...

This paper investigates the usefulness of information criteria for inference on the number of structural breaks in a standard linear regression model. In particular, we propose a modified penalty function for such criteria based on theoretical arguments, which implies each break is equivalent to estimation of three individual regression coefficients. A Monte Carlo analysis compares information ...

Exact consumers surplus and deadweight loss are the most widely used welfare and economic efficiency measures. These measures can be computed from demand functions in straightforward ways. Nonparametric estimation can be used to estimate the welfare measures. In doing so it seems important to account correctly for unobserved heteroeneity given the high degree of unexplained demand variation oft...

Empirical growth research faces a high degree of model uncertainty. The current paper deals with the fundamental issue of parameter estimation under model uncertainty, and compares the performance of various model averaging techniques. In particular, it contrasts Bayesian model averaging (BMA) — currently one of the standard methods used in growth empirics — with a new method called weighted-av...

In this chapter, we discuss the use of mixed frequency models and diffusion index approximation methods in the context of prediction. In particular, select recent specification and estimation methods are outlined, and an empirical illustration is provided wherein U.S. unemployment forecasts are constructed using both classical principal components based diffusion indexes as well as using a comb...